Case Number 15600

FRIDAY THE 13TH (BLU-RAY)

The Charge

"I can't imagine that I'm talking about making this little film twenty
years later." -- Sean S. Cunningham

Opening Statement

It seems the original case of Camp Crystal Lake, the site of six grisly
murders dating back to the summer of 1981, simply will not remain closed. While
plenty of evidence has been presented over the decades and judgments, largely
exonerations, have been handed down, certain details seem to trouble those who
believe all facts have not yet surfaced. Even though an exhaustive 5-disc DVD
release, incorporating eight films plus volumes of additional material, was
offered in 2004, those who relish all things Friday still appear
dissatisfied. Therefore, Paramount Home Entertainment offers this newest
release, a Blu-ray edition of Friday the 13th Uncut, to settle the
masses. But will this supposed complete version of the long-standing horror
classic finally resolve cries and concerns that fans haven't been given all that
Paramount has to offer?

Please be seated. Court is again in session.

Facts of the Case

While this courtroom has previously heard the case of Friday the 13th
in the examination of the 2003 Region 2 DVD release, here's a recap of the
events under scrutiny:

A group of young people convenes at Camp Crystal Lake, an East Coast retreat
that has been out of commission since some shocking murders in 1958 and
subsequent unexplained "accidents." Steve Christy (Peter Brouwer), son
of the camp's original owner, has returned to the site, determined to restore
and reinvigorate it, making it fit once again to welcome and entertain troupes
of new campers. Aided by Alice (Adrienne King), Bill (Harry Crosby) and Brenda
(Laurie Bartram), and soon joined by Marcie (Jeannine Taylor), Jack (Kevin
Bacon), and Ned (Mark Nelson), the new camp counselors labor to reopen the
once-regarded Camp Crystal Lake. Never mind Crazy Ralph (Walt Gorney) who spits
and sputters his warnings of a death curse that hangs over the camp and all who
inhabit it. Yet, how crazy are the old coot's prophecies of doom in light of the
brutal daytime murder of Annie, the final counselor en route whose agonized last
gasp is at the hands of a mysterious knife-wielding killer. The others continue
to toil, unaware that the killer is now nearby, watching and waiting,
methodically slaughtering the young counselors one by one in numbingly vicious
fashion. Who will survive the bloodbath and what will they learn about the truth
behind the legend of "Camp Blood?"

The facts remain unchanged, so what new evidence is being presented this
time around?

The Evidence

As a film, Friday the 13th has been analyzed to death (sorry). It
started as a low-budget offering from young director Sean S. Cunningham
(Spring Break) and screenwriter Victor Miller (A Stranger Is
Watching), who admit they announced the picture with only a title yet no
actual concept. The two stumbled into launching a cultural phenomenon. This
film, intended as a simple one-shot endeavor, cemented the foundation of the
oncoming 1980s "splatter movie" genre. Audiences flocked to theaters,
got the frights of their lives, and demanded more.

For as much as it has been vaunted as an iconic breakthrough in screen
horror, the fact remains Friday the 13th is a cobbling of elements
presented by key terror films that had gone before. It began with John
Carpenter's original Halloween of 1978, a story of a stalking killer
exacting a revenge on young people engaged in fun, flirting, and sex. From there
we can point to the heavy breathing of Carpenter's unstoppable Shape as
inspiration for the "ki-ki-ki, ma-ma-ma" hiss of this film's
perpetrator (vis-a-vis the immediately recognizable soundtrack cue, one that's
incorrectly mimicked by fans as "ch-ch-ch, ka-ka-ka" to composer Harry
Manfredini's ongoing disappointment). Filming in the killer's point-of-view was
also offered in Carpenter's thriller, used to equal effect here. The ambush
scare, coming at the end of the film, was most closely used a year earlier in
Don Coscarelli's Phantasm and even three years prior to that in Brian
DePalma's Carrie. Of course, this leveraging of effective horror elements
is not being raised here in an effort to allege plagiarism, mainly because
Cunningham had been clearly quoted by screenwriter Miller as saying, "let's
rip off Halloween." Miller studied the elements of Carpenter's work
then folded in additional plot devices as needed (citing Carrie by name).
All of this is fine, however, because the splatter genre was in its infancy and
needed a few successive deliveries of the same cinematic punch to determine if
audiences were buying this act. As history has proven, they bought it, time and
time again. It wasn't uncommon for fans to return to the theater five, ten, or
more times for repeat viewings (the film having been released just prior to the
home video boom of the same decade). Even though the character of Jason didn't
figure prominently in this initial outing, he was easily leveraged as a
marauding murderer for a subsequent ten films (and likely still counting).

But it's not so much the film itself under the microscope here as it is this
new Blu-ray edition, touted as being a definitive "uncut" version,
available at last (also available in a concurrent standard definition release).
Well, for Friday fans, there's really nothing new to reveal since this same cut
has been available since 2003 by way of the aforementioned Region 2 Edition.
Again, as was previously examined in this courtroom, that edition was special
indeed because if offered fans an opportunity to view about 10 additional
seconds of gore effects that had been trimmed from the U.S. theatrical cut as
well as the subsequent barebones DVD released by Paramount in 1999. The only
sequence of significance here is that of Jack's death, here offering an
additional overhead view of his demise (and, frankly, it's a poor setup that is
clumsily executed in that the arm and hand on his forehead is impossibly angled
upward if we're to believe the killer is truly situated underneath his victim's
bed). As noted, this is nothing new to Friday fans since they likely snapped up
imported copies of the disc from across the pond years ago, securing region-free
DVD players to enjoy the frightful festivities. Yes, it's a U.S. first, but not
a digital video first. What is new and very worthwhile is the terrific new
transfer on display, this one sparkling clean and visibly richer thanks to the
superior AVC-encoded presentation. The source material is surprisingly
blemish-free (you'd have to seriously fixate to detect any noticeable print
damage). This isn't to suggest the remastering has been able to wipe away
problems inherent in the filming itself. The color palette is frequently muted
(though sometimes quite vivid without becoming oversaturated) and grain appears
often though not to the level that it becomes a serious distraction. Even though
shadow detail is not as precise as we've come to expect from the new HD format,
this is by far the best handling of the film's many contrast difficulties
endured by fans over the years (see the sequence where Ned, from a distance,
spies someone atop his cabin landing; previously, this has just been a blob of
lighter-toned movement but here we actually see the partially-obscured face of
the killer beneath a dark raincoat). As far as HD details, crispness, and
"pop," well there's only a bit of that visible here (the close-ups of
Mrs. Voorhees face are very nice) but no matter since what we do get is a very
clean image with a faithful film-like quality. Truly, this is the best that
Friday the 13th has looked on video.

Audio also gets a big boost here, making the most of the original soundtrack
while still confined to the limits of the source material. Gone are the previous
mono tracks of old, upgraded here to an expanded Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround mix.
While you shouldn't expect blazing action from all around the room, you will
enjoy a noticeably widened soundstage that effectively pushes some ambient
effects to an appropriate surround channel and also maximizes the enveloping
dread delivered by Manfredini's imposing score. Dialog isn't particular bold
from the center channel but it is always clear and intelligible from start to
finish. Technically, this is a worthwhile investment for those eager to squeeze
every drop of goodness out of this film. If you're a purist, take heart because
the film's original mono track is also here for those who require absolute
authenticity.

As for extras, there are plenty here, most hits, some misses. First up is
the commentary track, previously found only on that Region 2 disc and noticeably
absent from the pricey 5-disc boxed set of 2004. Moderated by author Peter
Bracke, this track splices together separately recorded interview snippets from
Cunningham, Miller, editor Bill Freda, Adrienne King, and Betsy Palmer. Their
comments and anecdotes are enjoyable and the track never lapses into silence
though it would have been interesting to have had regrouped these folks for an
interactive discussion captured as they actually viewed the film. Yes, this is a
quibble since the track is informative but, given these folks were together in a
panel discussion as recently as September 2008, it would have seemed an easy
achievement, especially since each seems proud of their work here. That said,
you will find 16 minutes of footage from that 2008 panel discussion, presented
in the disc's Friday the 13th Reunion, here in HD. Editor Freda isn't
present but composer Manfredini is on hand as is gore effects master Tom Savini
and original Jason, Ari Lehman. Next up is Fresh Cuts: New Tales from Friday
the 13th, a 9-minute HD presentation where Miller, Manfredini, and Savini
are back for additional recollections (plus a rehash of a few we've just heard).
Notable here is the appearance of Robbi Morgan as she tells of her experiences
as first-victim Annie. Then it's more time with the director in The Man
Behind the Legacy: Sean S. Cunningham, another 9-minute HD presentation
where we tour the Cunningham estate and reminisce more about the film and its
subsequent "branding." Last of the HD-enhanced extras is the throwaway
mini-drama, Lost Tales from Camp Blood -- Part 1, an 8-minute film in
which a Jason-like brute stalks a young couple previously asleep in bed. As a
recovery to this undesirable misstep, The Friday the 13th Chronicles
bring another 20 minutes of anecdotal content from Cunningham, Miller, Palmer,
King, and Savini. As welcome as all this extra content is, by this point it's
becoming somewhat repetitive and even a bit tiresome. Don't nod off yet, though,
because there is a juicy nine minutes of gore school with Tom Savini in
Secrets Galore Behind the Gore; well worth the watching. Last up is the
original theatrical trailer, presented in widescreen and remastered in HD.
Though you might be a bit saddle sore by this time, it's proves to be a
well-rounded collection of extra material.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Now, for those who have been closely keeping score, you might wonder how this
can be the same cut as the Region 2 disc, especially since there's an obvious
disparity in the specified running time of the feature film. If this new
"Uncut" edition is identical to the previous Region 2 feature, how do
we account for the three-minute discrepancy? After close, side-by-side,
examination of both discs, all content is equal, frame for frame. The difference
can be explained by the well-known 4-percent playback speed increase of Region 2
discs. A simple mathematical computation validates this. Audibly, there is also
a slight but detectable pitch increase in the audio track, most noticeable in
voices. That's right -- if you've seen the Region 2 cut, you've seen this one,
too. Again, the benefit here is the playback compatibility with U.S. Blu-ray
players and the accurate playback speed.

The Verdict

So, as Friday the 13th Uncut has been brought before us once again, we
still find this particular defendant not guilty. Paramount is duly pardoned of
the offenses committed in past releases, those addressed in this complete and
improved release. Easily, this is worth inclusion in your Friday library.